Here’s a novel set in England in World War II that won’t have you aching at the devastation and inhumanity in every chapter. Emmy Lake is a plucky young woman working for a women’s magazine who gets the opportunity to interview women working in a munitions factory. We also follow her friendship with her best friend (whose fiancé died in the war) and with her boyfriend, who is serving in the military. 

Despite the background of war, this book is not terribly heavy. The author does a great job of showing the shadow side of this time period, while also showing the resilience of people getting on with life. 

 Yours Cheerfully was a fun, enjoyable read. Emmy Lake is a wartime advice columnist who is thrilled to be invited to help out with a Ministry of Information drive to recruit more British women war workers. But when she learns of the struggle these women face - they were often expected to do the impossible when it came to working and taking care of their children - and the unwillingness of authorities to improve their situation Emmy questions where her loyalty lies.

Emmy is a delightful character, full of energy, enthusiasm and good intentions, even if they sometimes go astray. Actually, with a couple of key exceptions, virtually all the characters were delightful.

Serendipitously, I was listening to this at the same time I was reading about women war workers in a nonfiction book (straight below this post on my feed) which enhanced my experience with both. Fiction and nonfiction have different ways of tackling topics and there’s something to be gained from both.

The spirit of the women and the sacrifices they made, sometimes willingly and sometimes unwillingly, really struck me. It put the sacrifices required to deal with Covid, and the unwillingness of many to make them, into stark perspective.

I must make special mention of the madcap caper, comedy of errors final scene. It was total frothy fun.

Since this book was set during wartime tough issues did arise. But they didn’t happen directly to the key characters, and they happened off-page and/or are only referred to obliquely. The overall tone remains relatively light.

If you are in the mood for something warm-hearted and charming with a spirited heroine this would be a great pick.